BENGALURU: Several pourakarmikas residing near Ramamurthy Nagar have contracted jaundice in the past few months, and they believe the reason is their constant contact with garbage without safety equipment.
While two pourakarmikas — Lakshmamma and Munivenkatamma have succumbed to jaundice this year, at least three others are suffering from the disease or have contracted it and then recovered. All the affected pourakarmikas reside in Ambedkar Nagar, and none of the several pourakarmikas residing there have been given any safety equipment.
Lakshmamma, who was aged 50, died on Wednesday after battling jaundice. Her daughter-in-law Mamatha said, "Lakshmamma could not take medicines as she had developed ulcers in her mouth. In addition, she was yet to receive four months' salary for her work and her PF amount." The contractor of the ward is now claiming that Lakshmamma had only worked for a few months and hence was not eligible for PF, while Mamatha clarified that her mother-in-law had been working for years.
T Venkatamma (52), another pourakarmika, is afflicted with jaundice and her stomach and legs have swollen up from the disease. She has stopped working for two months due to this and, as a result, her unmarried daughter Suma had to mortgage her jewellery. Another pourakarmika afflicted with the disease is Chinnakka, and she has not recovered even after six months.
The two health inspectors for the ward concerned (Ramamurthy Nagar, number 26) are responsible for the workers getting the safety equipment. However, both Manjunath V and Vishwanath claimed the other official was responsible for the same.
Maithreyi Krishnan from the BBMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangha said the workers were susceptible to several diseases because of the conditions they work in. “And since they can't take a single day of leave, they are unable to recover properly,” she said. Krishnan said the workers' immunity levels are lower than average, and secondly, they have to come in contact with waste of all nature, including medical waste. "BBMP has released funds for safety equipment but it has not reached the workers," she said.
Dr S Ravindra, Head of Medical Gastroenterology, BGS Hospital, said two strains of jaundice - type A and type E - are usually spread by infected stools, which go into the sewage. If the pourakarmikas are in contact with the sewage, they could get the virus, he said.